SeekingOutJerushaIndex | Time Under Chaos | Game Logs | PreGameLogs | Seeking Out Jerusha The latest tourney lists were up at the Base of the Arch. Claudio Barimen edged his way through the cluster of sword dancers and devotees and scanned the printed columns for a particular name. This time, he found it. "Aha! She's back." Now, where would he be most likely to find Pavlo at this time of day? Claudio glanced at the sky, made a quick calculation, and headed for the snack bar. Located near the equipment stores and changing rooms, this establishment was staffed by demons and frequented mostly by sword dancers. The menu of high-energy snacks and drinks formulated with more attention to electrolyte balance than to flavor didn't particularly appeal to Claudio, but then, he wasn't an athlete. Dancers who'd just finished a strenuous practice session had different priorities. As usual, the place was fairly crowded, but it didn't take long for Claudio to spot Pavlo, sitting with Helena in one of the booths on the far side. He made his way across the room to them. "Hello, Helena," he greeted his friend first. Then he said, "Pavlo, I need your help." Helena smiled at the newcomer. Pavlo glanced up at him. "With what?" "Jerusha Corrino is on the latest tourney list. Which means she's back from patrol rotation. Which means I need to talk to her." "Who's Jerusha Corrino? Any relation to your doctor?" Helena asked Claudio. "His daughter, actually," Claudio replied, then went on to caution her, "Not everybody knows that." Helena's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Why not?" she asked, intrigued. "Was there a scandal?" "I'm not really sure," said Claudio. "All Delluth will say is, 'She doesn't approve of me.' Do you know her at all?" he went on to ask Helena. "She is a sword dancer, after all." "Is she? Hmmm. Jerusha...an unusual name...maybe. I know I've not competed against her before. Why do you need to talk to her, if I may ask?" Helena said. "I want to do a portrait of her for Delluth," said Claudio. "Ever since the accident, I've been wanting to do something nice for him, and I know that's something he'd appreciate." "The question is whether =she'll= appreciate it," commented Pavlo. Helena smiled at Pavlo. "It sounds like you've had some interaction with her." "We've crossed paths," Pavlo admitted. "She trained with Hendrake as well. She's very compentent, but ... prickly." Claudio grinned. "Meaning she brushed you off, big brother?" Pavlo favored him with a mock glare. "Oh?" Helena grinned, turning her attention back Pavlo. "Do tell." Pavlo seemed to relax a bit at this evidence that Helena didn't hold previous flirtations against him, but answered with a shrug, "Not much to tell, really. She was polite about it, but made it clear she wasn't interested." "But she wouldn't, say, walk out of a room if you walked into it?" pursued Claudio. "All I need is an introduction... I hope." "I think I could manage that," Pavlo allowed. "Is there a way we could find out where she practices?" Claudio asked, including both Pavlo and Helena in the question. "Well, we could ask around," Helena ventured. "Or catch her at her next match, since you said she was back up on the Lists." She looked at Pavlo to see if he had any other ideas. Claudio grimaced. "Coming up to a dancer right after a match is what worshipful fanboys do," he pointed out. Pavlo nodded in rueful agreement and said to Helena, "Haven't you noticed that?" Helena laughed. "Well, yes, but you aren't," she said to Claudio. "So what do you care what others think? Unless you think Jerusha will think you a fanboy?" It was evident by her tone that she was gently teasing him. "That's why I need Pavlo's help," Claudio pointed out. "She knows him by sight, at least, and knows =he= isn't one. Without knowing me, what else would she be likely to think?" Helena shrugged and smiled. Claudio was likely right. "It would help even more if you came along," Claudio went on to suggest to Helena. "That way she'd also have less reason to suspect that Pavlo had any ulterior motives." Pavlo rolled his eyes. "Sure, I can come if you'd like me to, and if that's all right with Pavlo," Helena said. Pavlo grinned. "You can come along and protect me," he suggested, rising. "I have to admit to a certain curiosity about her, and in what way she doesn't approve of her father." "I don't know if it would be a good idea to ask her that," warned Claudio. "Well, if it should just...happen...to come up..." She shrugged again, then smiled. "I'll be tactful, I promise." "I know which level she's at, anyway," said Pavlo as they left the snack bar. "We can check the listings and see who else is in her circle, and who we might ask." "Lead on," Helena told Pavlo, following the two men out. The listings provided several possibilities, the second of whom was able to direct them to a place she knew Jerusha liked to practice. She was obviously curious about why they wanted to know, but only wished them luck as they started off. The directions - complicated as they had to be, in the sprawling complex of competition and practice areas - finally brought them to a patch of night, lit by a pair of globes at either end of a stretch of flat pavement. Near the middle of this space, Jerusha Corrino was engaged in an unarmed practice form at slow speed, her movements strong and graceful. She was tall and thin, with blonde hair cropped very short; it was clear at first glance that she did not take after her father in appearance. After a few moments, the two watching dancers recognized the form, and knew she was in the last third of it. She finished and held the last pose for several breaths. Then she straightened and walked to within easy speaking distance of the trio waiting under one of the globes. "Pavlo Barimen," she said, nodding courteously to him. Her expression was neutral, even as her glance flicked over the other two, pausing on Helena. The corner of Helena's mouth quirked upward. She nodded at Jerusha, not breaking eye contact. "Jerusha," Pavlo greeted her in turn. "I expect you know Helena Barimen-Ishtar by reputation, at least, even if you've never spoken; and this is my brother Claudio." Claudio inclined his head in greeting. "I thought so," she said, with a little more animation, and moved closer to them. "There has been a great deal of chatter about you." It seemed like she almost added a "Lady Helena" to the remark, which would have been out of place in the decidedly informal society of sword dancers. Some of the chatter good, probably most of it bad. Helena smiled wryly. Jerusha's eyes, they could now see, were a light blue; her voice was quite low for a woman's. She favored Claudio with a quick nod in return for his, and looked back at Pavlo and Helena, apparently assuming that the visit was at the instigation of one of them. "Claudio wishes to talk to you. Pavlo and I are just along for company," Helena explained. Pavlo nodded in corroboration of this, and stepped back to allow Claudio to come forward. Now they got to see carefully-controlled surprise. "Oh?" she said, turning toward Claudio. "I'm afraid I don't know you at all." Claudio's slight figure was somewhat dwarfed by the taller sword dancers, but he seemed unfazed by this as he limped forward and looked up to meet Jerusha's eyes. His own were grey, direct and appraising. "I'm an artist," he said. "I'm also a patient and friend of your father's. So I have a favor to ask of you. Dr. Corrino has been exceedingly kind to me, and I'd like to do something for him in return. I'd like to gift him with a portrait of you." If he'd swung his stick at her, it would have been easy to deal with; this simple speech tested her restraint. "I--" she started, then stopped and took a breath. "You've discussed this with him?" she asked, her tone just shy of accusatory. Claudio shook his head. "No. It's meant to be a surprise." "I see," she said, trying to think of a way out of this that wouldn't look ... callous. "I suppose it would please him." Still she hesitated, trying to school her expression to something that didn't look hostile. "I'm quite sure it would," said Claudio. Jerusha eyed him, wondering what he knew. But she wasn't going to air her private issues in front of Barimens, of all people. "Very well," she said with as much grace as she could muster. "Did you have a particular time or place in mind?" To the assembled Barimens, her manner was weirdly reminiscent of Delluth Corrino's easy, natural-seeming courtesy -- only if it had been stored in an icebox for several decades. "I can accommodate myself to your schedule," Claudio said easily. "I know you have a training regimen to keep up -- having one in the family, so to speak." He smiled. "If it would be easier for you, we could schedule several short sittings -- maybe an hour or so -- rather than one long one. In fact, I'd prefer it." "Very well," she said again, and offered some times she thought would work. As he'd said, Claudio was able to arrange a schedule of sittings without much discussion. "Where would you feel comfortable meeting?" he asked Jerusha. "All I ask is reasonable lighting and not too many distractions. If you'd feel more at ease with one or two friends...?" He raised his eyebrows questioningly. She shrugged. "Anywhere ... a garden would be nice. One of the public ones?" "The Sculpture Garden on the grounds of the Hattusas Museum is one of my favorites," Claudio offered. "Do you know the Papingo Terrace? It's got good lighting for most of the day." "I can find it." She gave a sharp nod, as if sealing a bargain. "Be sure and hit up Claudio for cinnamon cookies," Helena remarked, smiling. "Or any other baked goods you're fond of," Claudio said, mirroring Helena's smile. "My treat." "Thank you," Jerusha said. "It's been a pleasure to meet you. But I have to get back to my routines..." "Of course." Claudio bowed. "Thank you for your time, and I'll see you in a couple of days." |
